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Dealing with Dysmenorrhea

Can Painful Periods Impact Your Fertility?

By Teri Brown

Primary dysmenorrhea is rarely associated with difficulty conceiving.

Dr. Ronald Stricker is a senior staff physician in the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. He says there are a variety of issues that cause secondary dysmenorrhea. "Secondary dysmenorrhea is commonly associated with endometriosis (normal lining of the uterus that has escaped outside the uterus and is growing on supporting peritoneal surfaces, bowel, ovaries) and adenomyosis, which is lining that has grown deeply into the muscle," he says. Other causes can be uterine myomas (fibroids), blocked fallopian tubes – often due to an old infection – stenosis, which is the narrowing of the cervix, wearing an IUD or polyps arising from the endometrium.

"Some causes for secondary dysmenorrhea affect fertility," Dr. Strickler says. "The discomfort of menses from primary dysmenorrhea is not a cause of infertility." If painful periods are a woman's norm and she has baby plans, she needs to find out exactly what is causing her dysmenorrhea. Medical intervention may be needed to make conception a possibility.

Tips for Treating Painful Periods Talk to your health care provider about a high-dose regimen of an anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen or Aleve® starting 24 hours before menses. Unless children are planned within the next year, birth control pills can stop the dysmenorrhea almost completely. A heating pad or hot water bottle placed on the abdomen can work wonders. Decreased activity during menses helps. Acupuncture and acupressure can also help. If these treatments don't help, talk to your health care provider about other medication options.

Want to see more?

• The Painful Truth About Endometriosis: Living with This Condition
• Uterine Fibroids: Their Affects on Fertility, Pregnancy and Beyond
• Uterine Factors: How Abnormalities of the Uterus Contribute to Infertility
• Join the discussion on our Family.com community!

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